We recently shared the exciting news of three new Irish record fish caught by anglers in 2025, confirmed by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee in their annual specimen fish report.
Well, one of those record breakers was Sean Bannon, from Co. Cork, who caught a Thick Lipped Mullet of 5.24 kg at Cork Harbour in May 2025, and smashed the existing record Thick Lipped Mullet by over 1 kg. Sean has now shared the tale of his amazing catch on the Irish Mullet Fishing facebook page, and it makes for a great read. Take it away Sean…
I started the session early in the morning with my ultralight trout rod (Mikado Sensual 2–12g paired with a Shimano Ultegra 2500) and a loaf of bread. While setting up, I had a quick look at the water and saw no fish on the surface and no real signs of life, so I can’t say my hopes were high. Still, I gave it a go.
I mashed up some bread and scattered it into the area I planned to fish, then went back to get my rod and cast straight into the spot. Within minutes, the rod screamed off. The initial run was frightening. It tore straight along the shore at a serious pace. When it finally stopped, it ran straight for the snags and got caught up in some weeds.I made a quick decision to get into the water to try and change the angle on the fish. As I approached, it took off again and thankfully came free without coming off the hook. I then played the fish while standing in the water for at least another 15 minutes. At this point, I still hadn’t even seen it, but I knew it was bigger than any mullet I’d ever hooked from the sheer power of the runs and the head shakes it was giving.Once it began to give up, I made my move to try and land it. I didn’t have my net with me, so the plan was to bring it close and grab it by the wrist of the tail and under the belly. Putting that plan into action was another story altogether. I was very lucky the fish didn’t freak out when I grabbed it, because I certainly did.I was in complete shock at how big it was. I couldn’t believe it. Definitely the highlight of my year, made even better by watching it swim away strong.
Irish Specimen Fish Report
The report is available as a digital download for the moment, but hard copies will be available free of charge from Inland Fisheries Ireland offices nationally in the coming weeks.
